The Third Congress on Political Prisoners in Belarus concluded in Vilnius today. Day Two focused on finding strategic approaches to move from documenting the regime’s crimes to taking action that can help overcome the human rights crisis in Belarus.
The day began with the presentation of a new BELPOL report titled “The Real Scale of Political Repression in Belarus”. The report was prepared with contributions from the United Transitional Cabinet’s Representation for Social Policy and Volnyja, using materials from Dissidentby and Viasna.
Participants discussed strategies for human rights work under conditions of total repression; the balance between security and effective assistance; opportunities for increased international pressure on the regime; and the role of the Belarusian community abroad in supporting political prisoners and Belarusian society as a whole.
The discussions brought together human rights defenders, former political prisoners, politicians, representatives of solidarity initiatives, and members of the Belarusian diaspora. Particular attention was paid to how support for people inside Belarus can be made more systematic, long-term, and effective.
The Third Congress on Political Prisoners in Belarus thus became a platform for discussing how to make support for political prisoners more systematic and collective efforts more coordinated.
